I'm in New York this week for a really cool project and event that I'm excited to share with you all. Before I left for the airport this weekend I got the itch to paint the fireplace, just to see what it would look like in black, so I rolled on a quick coat.

It will need a couple coats of paint with sanding sessions in between, but so far I'm loving it!

I also found a remnant slab of honed black granite at a local stone yard that I think will be perfect for the fireplace surround. The stone will be cut to fit all the area on the inside of the mantle, surrounding the firebox.

I love the texture of this stone! Isn't it pretty? It's a little bumpy, which I really like for an application like this.

When I get back home I'm going to paint the walls in the living room before finishing the fireplace. I think lightening the walls with a pale gray and a coat of bright white on the beamed ceiling will make for such a pretty contrast in the space with the all-black fireplace. I'm so, so excited to get this space done and functional!